Anti-epistemology

From Lesswrongwiki

Anti-epistemology refers to bad explicit beliefs about rules of reasoning, usually developed in the course of protecting an existing false belief - false beliefs are opposed not only by true beliefs (that must then be obscured in turn) but also by good rules of systematic reasoning (which must then be denied). The explicit defense of fallacy as a general rule of reasoning is anti-epistemology.

Anti-epistemology was formerly known as Dark Side Epistemology but this seems to have been an overly poetic term that led to confusion with the Dark Arts - "anti-epistemology" refers to bad explicit rules about what is good to believe, not to invalid rhetorical techniques for persuasion.

An example of anti-epistemology run riot would be New Ageism: The concept of "faith" was originally developed by scriptural religions, but with organized teachings that put boundaries around what you were allowed to have faith in. New Ageism kept the notion that unjustified belief was a noble thing, but dropped the restrictive scriptures. So now they have faith in unicorns, UFOs, homeopathy, pyramid power...